Acid Rain

Acid deposition can be caused by natural sources such as volcanoes, [blank] it is mainly caused by the release of sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide during fossil fuel combustion. When these gases are discharged [blank] the atmosphere, they react with the water, oxygen, and other gases already present there to form sulfuric acid, ammonium nitrate, and nitric acid. These acids then disperse over large areas because of wind patterns and fall back to the ground as acid rain or other forms [blank] precipitation. The gases most responsible for acid deposition are a byproduct of electric power generation and the burning of coal. As [blank] , man-made acid deposition began becoming a significant issue during the Industrial Revolution. Although it was discovered in the 1800s, acid deposition did not gain significant public attention until 1960s, and the term "acid rain" was coined in 1972. Public attention [blank] increased in 1970s when the "New York Times" published reports about problems occurring in the Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest in New Hampshire.